


Late Night

by Indig0



Series: DBH Rare Pairs Weeks [18]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Gavin Reed (mentioned) - Freeform, Post-good ending, ST300's name is Arie, She left the DPD to work at a coffee shop across the street, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23444542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: “I mean… I’m not saying you’re just a distraction, but you always make me feel… better.  Happier, calmer, whatever.  Like I can focus on you, and whatever shit I’ve been dealing with all day isn’t so bad.  That’s why I always come by at the end of my shift – I could run home and make my own coffee.  Wouldn’t taste as good – okay, so it’s a little bit because of the coffee, but mostly I just –“Arie took Tina’s fidgety hands in her own and started rubbing circles with her thumbs, watching Tina with a smile.  “I always feel happier when I talk to you, too,” she murmured.  “I’ve always just thought it was because I love you, but that’s a good way to describe it.”(for DBH Rarepairs Week, prompt Proposal)
Relationships: Tina Chen/ST300 Android(s)
Series: DBH Rare Pairs Weeks [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1480529
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	Late Night

The coffee shop was a glowing beacon of warmth in the cold night that Tina Chen homed in on when she finally got away from the precinct. It was a small place, but being across the street from the station kept it in business.

“Tina!” The ST300 smiled at her from behind the counter as she got started making Tina’s usual order. “You’re late tonight."

“I can’t believe you’re still open,” Tina groaned, dragging herself through the door.

“You always come in at the end of your shift, I knew you’d show up eventually.”

“Mmph.” Tina walked up and slumped on the counter.

“I’ll make it to go,” Arie said sympathetically, turning to grab a paper cup.

Tina grabbed her wrist. “No, I – don’t bother, I’ll drink it here.”

“All right,” she said, a little softer. She paused. “Are you… okay?”

Tina just sighed and let her go, stretching her neck right then left with a loud pop both ways.

Arie added a little extra sugar, a pump of chocolate, and some coconut milk to the big mug, then topped it with a handful of marshmallows. She grabbed a flakey croissant and brought it around the counter with the mug, jerking her head to a booth by the window. Tina stared for a moment before cracking a smile.

“Are you trying to give me diabetes or something?” she snorted, but followed her and slid into the booth, taking the mug and inhaling deeply. “Mmm… I’ll never fall asleep after this.”

“I… made it decaf because it’s so late,” Arie confessed, LED flashing yellow once. “I hope that’s okay.”

Tina frowned faintly just for a second before shrugging. “…I don’t know if it’ll make a difference, but… yeah, that’s fine.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –“

“No, it’s fine. Just –“ Tina shook her head. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Arie nodded slowly, watching her. Tina took a big bite of the croissant and chewed slowly, staring off into space.

“Lieutenant Anderson’s started bringing his own coffee cup over when he comes,” Arie said softly. “He said Connor’s been reminding him. …Connor didn’t come today. I’m still working on that thirium variation, it still tastes awful.” She made a face. “Even Connor says so, and you know how he is.”

Tina smirked faintly. “…How many times did Gavin come over?”

“Seven, including when he spent his lunch break here.”

“God, he needs to get a lead on his case,” Tina muttered, shaking her head. “Sorry about him.”

“I think he’s warming up to me.” Arie smiled. “After the sixth time I told him to fuck off, and he did.”

“But then he came back again?” Tina was grinning.

“Just burst in the door half an hour later yelling about how a Barbie doll couldn’t talk to him that way.”

Tina nodded in anticipation.

“I got him a cup of coffee and kept dumping spoonsful of salt into it while maintaining eye contact. When he opened his mouth, I ground some pepper over it.”

Tina dissolved into laugher, bent over the table. “Oh god, I wish I’d seen that! I have to ask him about it next week!”

Arie grinned, leaning forward too. “We just stared at each other for a minute, then I set that cup aside and made his real coffee.”

“Don’t even bother next time, it’s the only way he’ll learn!” Tina wiped her eyes, still laughing. She took a deep drink of her coffee. “Mm, and I’m definitely getting diabetes. Worth it.”

“It’s not bad if it’s not too often,” Arie assured her, smiling back.

“Mm, maybe.” Tina shook her head, then yawned widely. “I guess I will head home. …Are you closing up, or are you just gonna sit here all night to see if anybody else wanders in?”

“I’ll close up. If you give me a minute, I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Sure.” Tina smiled warmly, and slowly nibbled the end of her croissant while Arie put the dishes in the dishwasher and made sure everything was turned off. She locked the door when they’d left, then they walked a few feet to the little police parking lot. Tina’s wasn’t the only car still there, but there weren’t many. She fumbled with her keys for a moment before turning to Arie. “Hey, do you… wanna come to my place for a little? I just cleaned the place the other night, and that won’t last long, so…”

“Really? I-I’d love to!” Arie said with a bright grin.

“…So I said I cleaned up, but it’s not like… super clean,” Tina explained as she was unlocking the door to her apartment. “Just better than it was.”

“That’s okay!” Arie followed her over the threshold and looked around as she turned on the lights. It was a fairly small apartment in an older building. The door and window frames were dark wood, and there was a stained glass window over the couch in the living room. The furniture was modern and sleek, and didn’t seem to quite fit in. There were dishes in the sink, a stack of mail on the coffee table, and a pile of clothes on the floor in the bedroom, but overall it wasn’t bad.

“Um… So, living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom.” She pointed to each section of the apartment, all in a row. “I’ve got some thirium if you want it, nothing fancy, just…”

“You do?”

“I… I’ve been wanting to invite you over for a while now,” Tina muttered, blushing. “Ideally not in the middle of the night when I’m a wreck, but here we are.”

“I love it!” Arie looked around, grinning, then turned back to Tina. “Is there… anything I can do to help?”

“You don’t have to, the coffee and food helped. …And talking. It’s like – when I was in college I was really dumb and would watch horror movies with my friends at night… then I’d have to watch Disney movies or Thomas Sanders videos or something like that before I could fall asleep.”

Arie’s LED cycled yellow. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“I mean… I’m not saying you’re just a distraction, but you always make me feel… better. Happier, calmer, whatever. Like I can focus on you, and whatever shit I’ve been dealing with all day isn’t so bad. That’s why I always come by at the end of my shift – I could run home and make my own coffee. Wouldn’t taste as good – okay, so it’s a little bit because of the coffee, but mostly I just –“

Arie took Tina’s fidgety hands in her own and started rubbing circles with her thumbs, watching Tina with a smile. “I always feel happier when I talk to you, too,” she murmured. “I’ve always just thought it was because I love you, but that’s a good way to describe it.”

Tina turned bright red and stared at her, and Arie’s LED blipped red briefly as well.

“I – I’m sorry, I didn’t think about the implications of that…”

Tina was staring at her, face gradually cooling to a more normal color.

“It’s just – it’s been a background thought for months now, I just wasn’t thinking about how it might be taken if I voiced it. And please don’t feel pressured to say anything at all to that, I really didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Arie gently pulled her hands away, but Tina caught them before she stepped back.

“Months?”

“Since… at least since I deviated. Before that it was just… kind of a vague fondness. When you’d stop at my desk in the morning, when you’d say hello whenever you passed, and smile at me. The time you gave me the sparkly bow from that fruit basket. That’s why I got a job across from the station after the revolution. I didn’t want to stop seeing you.”

“That’s… oh,” Tina breathed, watching her with something like awe in her eyes.

Arie sighed and smiled uncertainly. “So… now that I’ve made this awkward…”

“Oh no – I mean, that was… just… shit, you said all of that so calmly, I’m the one who made it awkward,” Tina mumbled, blushing again.

“Not at all! I… I hope that doesn’t affect our friendship, though. I don’t want to lose that.”

Tina sighed and rubbed her eyes. “No, definitely not, but… Look, I’m just… I’m bad at… saying things.”

“Like I said, you don’t need to say anything –“

“…But if I were drunk enough I’d probably ask you to marry me on the spot.”

Arie’s LED went solid yellow for a moment. “…What?”

“I mean I could probably go for years just thinking something, accepting it, living with it, but saying it… is different. It doesn’t mean I don’t… think it, it doesn’t mean I don’t want it or I don’t want to hear it.” She looked up, and there was something like fear in her eyes as she forced the words out. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want it. Or… feel like that.”

Arie had been leaning away from her, trying to give her space, but now she slowly stepped forward and slipped an arm slowly around Tina’s back. The human immediately leaned into her.

“Sorry,” Tina mumbled. “I’m tired.”

“You should get some rest,” Arie murmured.

“Yeah… I guess so.” She pulled back enough to look at the ST300. “I meant it, though. Just so you know.”

“…The feeling, or the drunken proposal?” Arie grinned.

Tina made a face. “…The first one.”

“Too early for a wedding anyway,” Arie agreed with a little smile that made Tina’s blush return. “If… I say or do anything wrong though, you’ll tell me? Because I… don’t really know how to handle a lot of feelings yet, and I’ll just do whatever I think is right, and I know it won’t always work out.”

“I’ll let you know. …You’re good at it, though. Like, really good. You just come out and say things, and it doesn’t even come out sounding awkward and horrible. It sounds… natural, from you.”

Arie smiled, hugging her briefly. “Thanks.”

Tina held on a little longer. “You too. …Much more of this, and you’ll have to watch out for drunken proposals.”

“Hmm, we can work up to that,” Arie decided. “…For now, could we… try a date some time?”

“I’m off tomorrow,” Tina mumbled immediately, leaning into her.

“Maybe tomorrow night. That’ll give you time to rest. Text me when you wake up and we can think of something to do.”

“Do I have your number?”

“You do now.”

“You’re so cool.” Tina yawned. “Mm-kay. See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” Arie murmured.

When Tina woke up she had a text on her phone from a new number.

_Arie: Hope you slept well! Let me know if you still want to do something tonight. <3 _

She smiled softly, staring at the words. Maybe in time, the proposal wouldn’t have to be drunken.


End file.
